Insidious Disease is an all-star act through and through. Featuring members and ex-members from Dimmu Borgir, Susperia, Napalm Death, Morgoth, as well as drum extraordinaire Tony Laureano, there is a very big pool of collective experience. On their second album, Insidious Disease isn’t really all about inventing something new so much as it is about having a good time with some old school flavored death metal. For that, After Death succeeds.
While the names involved might initially garner your interest, it’s the band’s entertaining spin on the classic death metal formula that will keep you coming back to it. It’s not revolutionary by any means, but with the players involved, they know exactly what parts to mess with to make it work. There’s a mix of some murky atmosphere, energetic riffs, and memorable grooves as you go through the tracks. The lingering deathly vibe that starts a song like “Unguided Immortality” reeks of the olden days, and the way that they gradually build things up from there into punchy mid-tempo stuff as it continues on is proof positive that these guys are having a good time with the material. While some tracks, like “Born into Bondage” kick up the speed and intensity, Insidious Disease is at their best with the more stomping mid-tempo stuff – the type that can deliver crushing riffs and bring in some enjoyable melodies to boot. “Nefarious Atonement” is as good an example as any, with punchy grooves leading the way for much of the track, even with some slight alterations in tempo.
While Insidious Disease has a solid pedigree behind it, After Death doesn’t try to overextend or do too much. Instead, it dives into the ‘good stuff,’ with piles of tasty mid-tempo riffing that is sure to make some old school death metal fans happy.